Shielded By Flame
by Inanis Incedeco
Summary: Sebastian can't forgive Hawke for sparing Anders. After a Vael assassin nearly kills Merrill, Hawke discovers his intent to kill her. Unwilling to live with a wolf at her back, Hawke enlists the help of the Warden and the Inquisitor to bring down the King of Starkhaven.
1. Another Minute

"Merrill, darling, we should really go inside."

Merrill turned and smiled at her love, who was attempting to give her a serious look even though she was grinning wildly. "But it's raining, Ma Vhenan." Merrill replied happily. "This isn't a night to spend locked in away from the world."

Indeed it was raining, sheets of it coming down across Skyhold so dense that the two of them couldn't see to the ground from the battlements where they stood.

Hawke grinned, putting her hands on the Dalish girl, one on her hip and other other on her rain soaked shirt the elf was wearing. "You wouldn't be saying that if we were in our room, together."

Merrill blushed and burrowed her head into her Hawke's jacket. "Just another minute Hawke. I want to enjoy this beautiful night the Creators sent for us before I enjoy you."

Hawke laughed, wrapping herself into Merrill's embrace. "Another minute then."

In their embrace, lost in their own world, neither of them had seen or heard a figure, cloaked in darkness and moving with a deliberate, mechanical pack towards them. In his hand, forged from black steel and emblems engraved in it's surface, was a dagger.

He raised the blade, aiming for the Champion's spine. As he did so, Merrill heard the rustling of his armour when his arm lifted, and looked up. Seeing the man, she shrieked and yanked Hawke aside, just in time to avoid it's stab. The man was caught off guard, but quick to recover, making a recovery with another swing towards Hawke.

Merrill let go of her wife and lunged towards the assassin, bowling into him and knocking the blade off of it's course. The man, not missing an instant, brought his free hand into Merrill's face, making a very audible Crack as he did so, and brought the blade into the elf's chest.

Merrill screamed in pain and Hawke, her head still sprinting to register the sheer suddenness of the whole event, felt her heart shatter at the sound. The assassin gave a heave at the blade, but it was stuck fast into Merrill's ribs.

He didn't have a chance to try to recover his blade again before Hawke's fist smashed into his face, shattering the surface of his skull with the sheer rage behind the blow. He staggered back, thrown completely off of his footing by the strike, and Hawke followed it up with another blow before he could even register the pain from the first blow.

The second hit sent him sprawling into the rails on the battlement, vision blurred and head swimming from pain. With him safely away from Merrill, Hawke let her magic erupt in an awe inspiring display, completely enveloping his body behind a wall of fire, killing him before he had hit the ground.

Head spinning and her body filled to the brim with adrenaline, Hawke turned on her heel and knelt by Merrill's side. The knife had landed in Merrill's ribcage, which had taken the brunt of the damage. The elf girl was bleeding, but it didn't look too awful of damage.

"Ma Vhenan?" Merrill croaked, her emerald eyes consumed with the blackness that her pain brought.

"Shh." Hawke said in the calmest voice she could manage. "I'm here, love. Hold still." She knew what she would have to do. She knew more than enough healing magic to save Merrill, but she couldn't do it with the blade still inside her.

Thinking as fast as she could, Hawke stripped off her jacket and twisted it into a makeshift gag. "Love." Hawke said in a soothing tone. She couldn't let Merrill hear the fear or desperation in her voice, not now. Right now she needed love and healing. "Open your mouth for me, and bite down on this for me." Merrill complied as Hawke wrapped it gently in the Dalish's teeth. It was as much for Hawke as it was for Merrill. If she heard her heart scream in pain again, it might break her.

Hawke gingerly placed her finger on the blade, knowing that taking it out with a single, smooth motion would cause Merrill the least pain. She took a deep breath, and took it out.

Merrill's world became pain, black spots plaguing her vision. She bit down hard on Hawke's jacket and let the tears flow freely from her eyes. Hawke would heal her her, she knew that with all the certainty in her heart, but that didn't lessen the agony from the fresh wound.

Hawke moved fast, dropping the blade in her lap and putting both of her hands onto her wife's chest, pushing gentle blue threads of healing energy into her, letting the strands of life string Merrill's skin back together, mending her rib and re-sowing her flesh back until nothing more than a marred and angry red line remained. Hawke didn't relent her magic until that too faded.

When she looked up from her work, her heart stopped when she saw Merrill's eyes were closed. Desperately reaching up to Merrill's heart, her world began moving again when she felt the strong beat of Merrill's soul deep within her. The excitement must have tired her out, or maybe the pain had rendered her unconscious, but she was alive.

Hawke let the tears fall freely now that Merrill couldn't be scared by them, having to wipe her eyes on her arm now that her jacket was on Merrill's face. She cried long and hard, letting the emotions, while only pent up for a minute or two, were strong and powerful. There had been several unspeakably terrible moments where she had thought the love of her life dead, and her heart now had to mend itself back together.

After a long time crying by herself, Merrill's head gathered in her lap, Hawke stood, carefully placing her jacket under Merrill's head to provide her a pillow. She strode over to the assassin, and picked through his belongings. Much of his clothing had been ruined, either by the torrent of rain or by the fire Hawke had engulfed him in. But there, in his coat pocket, Hawke found what she was looking for.

It was a letter. The man was clearly an assassin, sent to kill the Champion. She had killed enough to know that, from the way he moved, to the ease with which he aimed for vital points. This would, hopefully, contain his contract and lead her back to whoever had put her through this pain. If nothing else, then the spymaster, Leliana could likely trace it.

She took Merrill back into their shared room, the assassin's knife and letter in her pocket. She gently laid Merrill on their bed, checking the elf's pulse again to convince herself that Merrill was still alive. Then she pulled out the knife and letter, and began to try to read.

The paper was fancy, with gold embroidery. It was badly burnt from Hawke's magic, but it had been protected from the rain, so part of it was legible. And then her heart sank.

At the bottom, she recognized the signature.

Sebastian Vael.

The chantry boy-turned prince. He was the one who had sent this man, this monster, to kill her. She looked at the knife and there it was, staring her in the face. At it's hilt was the Vael family heraldry, in shining silver steel.

A royal assassin. From one of her oldest friends. He had sent this man to kill her.

Sebastian.

She dropped the letter, letting it float gently to the ground. She understood what this was about obviously. On that damnable day from what seemed an eternity ago, when the sky had burned and Thedas had changed forever, she had stayed her blade from Anders. The man may have blown up a Chantry and killed hundreds who hadn't deserved a death but it hadn't been his fault. Anders was sick and she knew that somewhere deep within him, there was a man who loved cats and gave his life to heal the homeless.

And more than that, he was family. The two of them had waded through Qunari and Darkspawn, side-by-side, watching over one another. They had spent many nights camped together, sharing wine and stories of their lives before Kirkwall. Even when he antagonized Fenris or he made her want to knock him on his arse when he mocked Merrill's life choices, he was still family at the end of the day. That was what families did, wasn't it? Feud with one another?

If there was anything a decade of warring in Kirkwall and the death of her blood family, it was that you stand by your family, no matter what. Why else had she risked life and limb for Isabela?

She turned the knife over in her hands, looking at the Vael heraldry one more time, hoping, praying that she had made a mistake, that it was some other noble family that had attempted to kill her and her love. Feeling the rage boil up when it was the Vael symbol, she drew back the knife and drove it home, deep into a desk. She had forgiven him for abandoning her when the Templar armies had come for them. She had forgiven him for invading her home. But not this time.

He had nearly broken her heart. And for that, Hawke would break his skull.


	2. All As One

Hawke brought her hand down three times on the massive wooden door that led both to the War Room and to Josephine's office.

There was a moment of quiet as she heard clothes shuffle and the ambassador whisper something before calling out "Er, I, who is it?"

"Adrianne." She replied, folding her arms. She had expected this, but that didn't make it any less funny.

"Just a moment." More whispering. A few moments later, the door flung open and the Antivan Ambassador, with her hair dishevelled and her clothes wrinkled, found herself faced with a Champion, smiling wildly. "Yes? Can I help you Hawke?"

Hawke laughed in spite of herself and the seriousness of the situation. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm afraid I need to schedule a War Room meeting. Now."

To her credit, Josephine straightened up with a speed comparable to lightning. "At once, milady. Is there anyone I should send for to join us?"

Hawke nodded. "Get Cullen, Leliana and her wife." She smiled as she looked over the Antivan's shoulder. "I presume we won't have to send for the half-naked Inquisitor in your office?"

The shirtless Cantis Trevelyan smiled and laughed as he pulled on his padded Gambeson. "And a fine morning to you as well, Mrs. Hawke."

Josephine glowered back at him and the Inquisitor had sense enough to look vaguely remorseful before she turned back to Hawke. "I'll send runners for them immediately milady."

"So what's this about?" Cantis asked as he followed Hawke into the War Room.

"Someone's trying to kill me." Hawke replied, holding open the great doors.

"And this is new?"

Hawke snorted. "Alright then, someone's trying to kill me," She glared at him for emphasis. "And he might have a chance at succeeding."

"Now that is news." Cantis smiled, leaning over the table.

It was early in the morning. Hawke, unable to have slept the previous night, had already disposed of the assassin's corpse and had ensured Merrill had been comfort in her sleep. The Dalish girl had slept through the night, and Hawke found herself repeatedly checking Merrill's pulse, to convince herself that Merrill wasn't dead, that she was still with her. Now that the sun had risen, she had set off to talk to the Inquisitor and his advisers about their course of action.

A minute later the door swung open again and in came Warden-Commander Marilina Amell, her raven black hair dishevelled in a similar fashion to Josephine's and a wild, joyous smile on her mouth. "Leli will be here in a minute. She-uh had some spy reports to fill out or something."

Hawke laughed. "She's putting on her pants, isn't she?"

"Mm-hmm."

Sure enough, Leliana soon followed her Warden, Cullen and Josephine not far behind her. Mara and Leli stand close, far too close for modesty, but their need for others not to know of their love died after their first night together. Their love was forged by war and death, and they learnt to have every moment beside the other. Cantis and Josephine, on the other hand, usually find themselves opposite the table, lest they wind up missing entire meetings lost in one another. Today however, they stand side by side, whether out of consideration of there being less space with more people around the table, or simply a want to be close, Hawke couldn't tell.

It had begun that their meetings had been dead serious. But Leli's love had returned with a cure for the Calling, and Cantis and Josephine had gotten together, even going so far as to forcing him to duel for her hand from another suitor. Now their was laughter and loving stares, and Mara even stole kisses from Leliana. If Cullen wasn't there to keep them together, the Inquisition would never get anything done.

"Alright Hawke." Cantis said, planting his hands firmly on the table. "Tell us exactly what's happening."

And she does, starting from the day the Chantry in Kirkwall was destroyed and Sebastian's promise that he would raise an army to hunt Anders and his associates to the attack from the previous night.

"I can't believe Sebastian would do this." Hawke finished off. "He was always a kind and sweet young man, who had enough time in his life for everyone." She shook her head sadly. "I guess the death of Elthina really broke him."

"An assassin? In Skyhold?" Leliana exclaimed. "Either our people are getting lax, or this man was very skilled."

"We can't let this stand." Cullen stated. "Sending an assassin after one of our inner circle, after we granted her asylum? He may as well have declared war upon the Inquisition."

"This is... certainly a delicate matter." Josephine said carefully. "To do anything of significance, we would have to reveal that an assassin managed to break into Skyhold and nearly kill one of our most prominent members. That would... leave the door open for others, so to speak."

"Why do we need to reveal anything, Josie?" Leliana asked. "He has declared war on us for all intents and purposes. We should retaliate in kind."

"You propose we kill him?"

"That's what I want." Hawke interjected. "Sebastian was my friend, and a good man, but I can't let this slide. I've lost far too many family members in my lifetime. And... Sebastian was always the sort of man who, once he got an idea in his head, he never let go."

"It's the safest and most direct path of action." Leliana said in a calm tone, looking distant as she calculated the situation in her head. "We can't let people threaten our people or those under our protection, but we can't say anything politically. Nobles are always committing assassination in vies for power, and I doubt a single person will bat an eye when another falls to The Game."

Cullen nodded in agreement. "It's messy, but likely the best solution."

Josephine swallowed and nodded. Cantis took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. He knew how much she disdained fighting and death, but he valued his friends and family every bit as much as Hawke did, and he couldn't let this go either.

"So how are we going to pull this off then?" Hawke asked. "Are you just going to send your people to waltz in there and stab him?"

Leliana shook her head. "No. I've... an idea. It's messy and we'll have to get our hands dirty, but it should prove an effective way of warning others not to tangle with the Inquisition."

"I'll leave it to your then." Hawke said simply, turning to leave.

"Hawke?" Mara called, and Hawke turned back. "Do you mind if I walk with you?"

Hawke shook her head, motioning towards the door and Mara followed.

"Are you... alright?" Mara asked as they left the room.

Hawke took a deep breath. "No, not really. I was... terrified when that man attacked us. I thought Merrill was dead for certain, and when I saw who sent him..." She closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing her forehead. "I never expected this, not from Sebastian. That day I spared Anders, he was... furious, enraged even. He swore vengeance on Anders for destroying his life. Sebastian had been vengeful in the past, that's even how I met him, but to send trained killers after someone he was friends with for so long..." She shook her head. "This hurts."

Mara stopped in her tracks, offering an arm for Hawke. The taller woman took it, laying her head on Mara's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay." She comforted. "I've been in a position like this before, when Leliana's Bard Master sent assassins after her. I was... furious, and I practically stormed the woman's house when we were told her location." She buried her head in Hawke's hair. "But Merrill's okay, and it'll all work out for the best."

Hawke nodded before slipping from Mara's arms. "Thank you." She said softly and Mara nodded.

"If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. Maker knows I've seen enough to have empathy for you."

On their way out, they noticed Blackwall in the courtyard just outside the great hall of Skyhold, leaning in the shade of the staircase. Mara stopped, detouring over to him.

"Warden Blackwall." She said, and the bear of a man practically jumped.

"C-commander Amell!" He exclaimed, quickly moving into a salute.

"I understand you've been using Grey Warden treaties for the Inquisition."

"Y-yes Ser, but I can explain! You see, I-" He stammered out the response, clearly nervous about being confronted over the issue, but Mara raised her hand for silence before reaching into her coat pocket.

Out she pulled three scrolls: One marked 'Orzammar', another 'Dalish' and 'Circle of Magi'.

"I thought you could use these as well."

 **Later**

Several hours later Hawke finally got back to her room that she shared with Merrill, and found the Dalish girl awake with a book on Dalish lore in her hands.

"Ma Vhenan!" She exclaimed happily, setting the book down on the night stand.

Hawke smiled at her. "Hey sweetness." She said in a gentle tone, as though she were afraid that too harsh a tone might break the Dalish girl. She sat on the bed, feeling it sink under her weight. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." She said, wrapping her arms around her wife in a gentle embrace. "A little sore if I'm being honest, but I'll be okay."

Hawke returned Merrill's embrace, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Good, I'm glad. I talked to the Inquisitor and we have a plan to keep us safe, don't you worry love. This won't happen again."

"I know, don't worry about me. Even if it does, you'll protect me, just like this time. I trust you, my love."

Hawke pulled back looking her in the eyes. "Maker's breath, I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"It's funny how you can do that. Read my mind that way."

Hawke laughed. "Are you just trying to make me blush?" Merrill nodded. "I love you."

Merrill smiled back at the adoration in her tone. "I love you too, Ma Vhenan." She paused for a moment. "Make love?"

"My, my, but you are feeling better." Hawke giggled as she pressed the Dalish girl into the bedsheets.


	3. Halam'shivanas

Merrill knocked on the door that led to Mara's office. She wasn't sure why she had forced herself to come here, but the Warden was at Skyhold, and something deep within her had to hear the truth, however painful.

"Come in."

Merrill found the Warden standing in front of one of her bookshelves in the middle of her room, sifting through a thousand ancient tomes. "Oh, hello Merrill." She half turned to the Dalish girl. "Hope this day finds you well. Hawke told us about the other night." Her voice was kind and sweet, seeming to ease Merrill into the topic, unlike when anyone else mentioned it and it made her nervous, with such an awful topic as someone trying to kill Hawke. "Are you alright?"

Merrill smiled back. "I'm fine. Hawke's been taking good care of me. I'm a little unsettled to be honest, knowing that assassin's broke into a secure fortress specifically to kill my love tends to make me a little skittish after all, but it's nothing we're not used to."

Mara's eyes smiled the way a mother's does when she's happy. "Good, I'm glad to hear it." She replaced the book in her hands onto the shelf and took a few steps towards Merrill. "But, I'm sure you didn't come up here just for me to fuss over you. Did you need something?"

Merrill nodded, nervously shuffling her foot, worried about the Warden's reaction. She was likely dragging up some of the Warden's worst memories. For a moment, she considered making up something to ask and drop the whole idea, before regaining her resolve. _I owe her this much._ "Can I... can I ask you about the Blight?"

Mara surprisingly nodded. "Sure you can. It's... not a pleasant memory, but I'll answer whatever you have to ask."

Merrill smiled weakly at her, still nervous about asking Mara such painful questions. "My... my clan-sister, Luna, she left our clan to become a Warden, right before Ostagar. Did you ever meet her?"

Mara raised her eyebrows. "Luna? Tall Dalish woman, blonde hair, tattoos on her face like creeping vines?" Merrill nodded mutely. "Yes, we were good friends, actually. We met at Ostagar, and she followed me the whole way to the Battle at Denerim."

"Was she... was she happy?"

Mara rubbed her neck. "I... don't know. She was always an open book, and we would talk and laugh in front of the fire deep into the night, but if you ever looked at her when she didn't see you, she just looked... alone."

Merrill sighed and swallowed hard. "Our clan had a candle light vigil for her after Ostagar." She paused, looking remorseful. "Is she... with the gods?"

Mara nodded sadly. "I'm sorry Merrill. A Grey Warden has to give their life to kill the Archdemon. Me and Loghain were both fully willing to give our lives to end the Blight, but she... insisted."

"...oh."

Mara put her hands on Merrill's shoulders. "I don't know if it helps, but I think she's happier now. She would often times talk about her... I don't even know what they were to each other. She would talk about a boy named Tamlen, that she loved, and how the Blight had taken him from her. She would often talk about how he had gone to the Creator's side, and how they would meet again at the end of the line. I think she's happy now, that the two of them can be together again."

Merrill nodded. That did sound like Luna to her, but that did little to ease the pain in her. "I... thank you, Lethallin. That isn't what I had hoped to hear, but... I'm glad she's at peace now."

"I'm sorry. She was a lovely woman, and I miss her often." Mara's eyes were sad and empathetic. "Did you know her well?"

"Thank you. And yes, she was a sister to me, always setting aside time to listen to me or help me with my studies, or go help me find ingredients for my poultices. I'm sad she's gone, but I will always be glad I had the chance to meet her."

"Me too."

Mara wrapped her arms around Merrill, pulling the Dalish into her breast and held her head comfortingly as they remembered a lost friend.

Merrill felt the need to cry, but the tears didn't come. She had already cried for her sister and, even though Luna had been given a gruelling life, she had saved the world and she had been given true friends, a true love, and she was at peace.

A minute later Merrill sighed and slipped out of Mara's arms. The human looked at her concerned, but Merrill smiled in return. "I should probably get going. It'll probably be dark soon, and Hawke will worry about me being gone too long, what with the awful business with Sebastian. Thank you Lethallin. I think I needed to hear that, painful though it was."

Mara smiled back. "I'm glad she had friends who cared about her."

Merrill turned to leave, but turned when Mara called her name. "I almost forgot to tell you. Hawke had me get your food and everything for tomorrow's events, so in the kitchens, there's a box for you that you should get before you go to bed. It's got plenty of sweets in it, so you should hopefully be okay." Merrill looked at her, confused, and Mara laughed. "Don't tell me you forgot what tomorrow is?" Merrill blushed, shuffling a foot. "Well then it's a good thing I remembered to tell you."

"Tomorrow is when the Vaels arrive."


	4. Kings of Thedas

The Vael family doesn't do things halfway.

Hawke, and anyone from Starkhaven, could have told you that, but here it was plainly evident, seeing the sheer amount of soldiers and dignitaries that come with Sebastian to Skyhold. A half-dozen caravans worth of soldiers and politicians rode in the honour guard for the Prince of Starkhaven. At the front rode Sebastian and his bride Cecelia Vael, flanked by two imposing bodyguards, with Viscount Bran of Kirkwall riding close behind them.

They had come to Skyhold to celebrate their newfound alliance with the Inquisition. It had taken master work on Josephine's part to establish such an alliance, given that Sebastian _had_ sent an assassin into the Inquisition's ranks to kill one of their inner circle. Not that it had been admitted in their peace correspondences, but it had been obvious to the diplomat that was an issue, given his wording. And that fact she _had_ been there. It had been difficult, but somehow the diplomat had accomplished it.

Cantis had made a note to give her a day off. Or ten.

And none of those from Starkhaven saw the Champion of Kirkwall, watching with contempt from the rafters of the grand hall. A lone vigil, clad in black armour, greatsword in hand.

This had been the plan since the beginning. Sebastian was here under a pretence of alliance, but that was just the front, as evidenced by Hawke being completely battle-ready. The real plan was to usher everyone into the main hall before barring the great doors behind them. The rest, spoke for itself.

Merrill sat crouched in the rafters beside her. Originally, she had intended to leave Merrill in their room, knowing that the less chance of detection, the better. But Merrill had refused. This man's assassin had nearly killed her Hawke before, and she wasn't simply going to abandon her love in this battle. If there was to be a war, then Merrill would fight beside her Hawke. If there was to be fire, then Merrill would burn with Hawke. If she was to die, then Merrill would die alongside her heart.

Hawke smiled and squeezed Merrill's hand. In a few minutes, this whole awful business would be over, and they could return to saving the world yet again, not to mention being completely and utterly in love with one another. Then she turned back to the convoy, to the man who had hurt her life so much.

Today, one of them would not go home.

 **In the Main Hall**

It was clear that, as much as the Vaels loved doing things in a big way, the Inquisition loved it even more.

The grand hall of the Inquisition was absolutely stunning with it's sheer scope, the stained glass of the windows and the murals on the walls. A palace made of gold might not be more impressive than the stunning architecture of Skyhold, with it's grand walls and breathtakingly designed furniture.

The grand hall, typically used as a throne room of sorts, had been cleared in order to made way for the celebration of their alliance with Starkhaven, the hall now filled with bars of fancy Orlesian food and wine, and tables filled with their guests.

Josephine walked up to Cantis, who was sitting upright upon his throne, still present even with the rest of the hall having been cleared. Behind her walked Sebastian and his bride. "Milord, may I introduce Sebastian and Cecelia Vael, concurrent prince and princess of Starkhaven." She spoke in her usual formal tone that she did when speaking to dignitaries, with a mechanical, carefully guarded tone, but then she took a single, almost dance-like step towards him and continued in a small voice that only he could hear.

"Don't ask them about their child."

Cantis didn't know what had prompted that comment but, after dealing with Orlesian nobles enough, he had learned to listen to any advice she gave.

Sebastian had aged since his time in Kirkwall. His brow was lower set, his hair and eyes had darkened and he had grown a rough beard, but he still matched the description Hawke had given him and the illustrations Varric had in his stories. Cecelia, on the other hand, was youthful and beautiful. She was distinctly of Orlesian descent, whit flowing auburn hair that reached her past her shoulders.

Cecelia was round in the chest. Not distinctly, but enough for Cantis to guess at what Josephine had been talking about.

"Greeting, lord and lady of Starkhaven." He said with a forced and small smile. "We're... glad to have you here."

Sebastian bowed and Cecelia curtsied in turn. "We're glad to be with you, Inquisitor." Sebastian said. "After all the Inquisition has done to stop these mages and give hope to those in the Chantry."

Cantis cringed slightly, given that he didn't believe in their maker and had tried as much as he could to distance the Inquisition from the Chantry as possible, but let it pass soon enough for the prince not to take notice.

"Love," Cecelia said, angling her head towards her husband. "I think I'll go and get something to eat. Do you want anything?" Sebastian shook his head and she smiled at him before turning towards the event.

For a moment, Cantis' heart contracts at the simple encounter, reminding himself far too much of him and his own Josephine. Then he swallows and steels himself behind an adamant mental wall. This is the man who tried to kill Hawke, someone he has fought and bled beside. He tries to be compassionate in his dealings as much as he can, but there's a line in the sand that can't be crossed.

That line is family.

 **In the Skyhold Rookery**

Mara cleared her throat and Leliana looked up from her desk.

"Everything's ready Leli." She said gravely.

Leliana nodded. "Thank you, mon ange." She said, standing up. She walked over to the bird cage that sat in the Skyhold rookery.

The rook inside the cage cocked it's head curiously when she opened it's cage, curiosity in it's eyes.

She released it out the window, letting it circle over Skyhold.

It cawed over the grounds, signalling for the attack to begin.

 **In the Main Hall**

Josephine cleared her throat and Cantis looked over at her. Her chestnut eyes that he adores so much are big and black in sadness. He grimaces, knowing that she was both thinking the same thing as him and that she detested the whole plan here. To her, inviting people into your home isn't a tactic to kill them and the honourable part of him agrees.

The politician and warrior in him disagrees however, and this is the quickest, safest plan.

After only a brief moment she speaks up. "Well, I should likely return to my duties. A pleasure to meet you, Ser Vael."

Sebastian, having been watching his wife join in with the festivities, turned and smiled. "And to you, Miss Montilyet." And at that, she left. If there is a graceful way to stomp away angrily, she did it on her way back to her office.

"So Serah Vael," Cantis spoke up after a brief moment of silence. "I understand our ambassador had some... difficulty getting you to sign on with us?"

Sebastian grimaced. "I am terribly sorry about that your worship. You see, I had heard that you had allied yourself with the Champion of Kirkwall and she and I have... prior engagements."

Cantis frowned at that. He obviously knew what Sebastian was talking about but, hearing the hesitation in the prince's voice had prompted further questions. "I thought you two were friends? Wouldn't that have made you even more eager to be with us?"

Sebastian shook his head sadly. "We were friends, once. But..." He stopped and sighed. "She's a good woman, Inquisitor, but she's made some bad decisions in her life. Mostly, she sympathises far too much with the mages: She married that Dalish _malificar,_ she spared that _abomination_ Anders and she sided with those mages in the tower against the divine's Templars." He hung his head. "It brings me no pleasure... but it's my right and my duty to show that there's no mercy, nowhere to hide for someone who causes so much chaos."

Cantis bit his bottom lip in an attempt to not speak out in his friend's defence, particularly after his own support of mages, and instead turned on the diplomatic part of him, mostly built by his Josephine. "Well, you needn't worry." He said, trying to keep an even tone. "She came to help us with our investigation of the Grey Wardens, but left for Weisshaupt Fortress immediately after. We've not seen or heard from her since." Half of that, at least, was true. Hawke _had_ indeed left, but had come back with her wife immediately after.

Sebastian smiled kindly at him. "Then we're pleased to be with you, Inquisitor."

While those inside were partying and drinking heavily, the massive oak doors of the great hall of Skyhold were barred from the outside, with two dozen of Leliana's archers moving into position, ready for the slaughter.


	5. Blood from Steel

Cecelia was smiling as she poured wine for herself. The party was chaotic, with the guards and dignitaries that they had brought drinking, laughing and dancing. She had never been good with noise, always preferring a quiet night to a raging celebration.

But still, with such an occasion as helping the most worthy cause in Thedas, she thought she would make an exception.

She almost dropped her glass when she felt a sudden, jerking pain, low in her chest. For a moment she was completely bewildered to the source before she realized what it was.

The child in her chest had kicked. And she breathed a sigh of relief.

After her last failure to create life, her child, her baby was kicking.

She turned back to the party, smiling wildly at this new development.

Among the chaotic flurry of fancy dresses and formal uniforms, something stood out to her: a boy with blonde hair and ragged clothes that were patched together.

"I like your hat." She said sweetly to a solemn Cole. "What's your name?"

Ever since Cantis and Solas had helped Cole embrace his spirit side, he had developed a quirk to his ability to help people: He could see their future pain, albeit only briefly and not terribly far, but enough for him to help them even more, preparing them for when he wouldn't be there. Whenever he saw their future suffering, his eyes turned a light, ethereal blue.

And that was what they were doing right now.

"The bleeding begins again." He says in his compassionate tone. "It's pouring out of me, and my baby, our child stops moving. Maker above, it's happening again." He gently put his hand on her shoulder and she took an uncomfortable step back. "This is my fault. There must be some sort of demon inside me."

She tried to turn away, but he stopped her. "Let go of me." She cried. "You're scaring me."

But he continued on. "With my wrists torn like ribbons, maybe I can see them again, my two beautiful children." Cecelia's eyes teared over, unable to tear her gaze away. "This isn't your fault, Cecelia, but... you'll never believe that. There's nothing I can do to save you, but I can ease your pain... I am so sorry."

In a lightning fast jab, he brought a previously hidden dagger into her chest. Cecelia screamed in pain and cried for her husband. Sebastian turned from his dealings with the Inquisitor and, seeing her agony, screamed her name back, rooted in place with shock. Cole brought another dagger, slitting her throat to the bone.

The entire room went silent, a surprised grasp coming from the crowd, jaws hanging open in shock.

Hawke was the first to recover from the shock of this unexpected development, knowing that this made it now or never.

She took a single step, letting herself fall forward into a swan dive, hitting the ground with a roll, landing on her feet.

"Hawke?" Sebastian murmured in disbelief as Merrill fell beside her love.

The room erupted into chaos as Inquisition agents reacted to the development, shortly thereafter followed by the Starkhaven soldiers. The Vael dignitaries that had come with their Prince ran for the door they had come from, only to find it immobile, sealed from the outside. Leliana's archers, perfectly situated to aim at the door, loosed a hail of arrows into the nobles, slaughtering them like cattle.

Sebastian finally uprooted himself from where he was frozen and tried to begin running towards where his love had fallen, but was stopped dead from a boot on his foot. For an instant as he looked up, he saw Cantis before his fist found the prince's face and the world went blurry.

To his credit, Sebastian recovered quickly, slipping from the Inquisitor's grasp and stepping back in a single, smooth motion. Cantis pulled a long tantō knife from a sheath on the back of his belt, taking a single step and swinging the blade at the Prince in a single, smooth motion.

Sebastian jumped back, feeling the air cut in front of his face. Thinking as fast as he could, he brought a knife of his won from his belt. Sebastian's was a ceremonial blade, not intended to combat, but it would have to do.

Cantis had no idea what he was doing with his blade. He was a trained warrior, granted, but his trained had mostly consisted of 'Find the biggest weapon available and beat your enemy with it until they die', and this short, lightning fast knife felt completely alien to him.

Cantis took another step forward, driving his blade down, but Sebastian stepped back and guided his blade down with his free hand, bringing his own blade forward. Cantis stopped it by jamming his free arm into Sebastian's wrist and bringing his blade hand up to drive across the prince's forearm, slashing muscles and rending skin.

Spurred on by his first hit, Cantis brought his blade to bear again, this time aiming for Sebastian's skull, slashing his cheek wide open, exposing a layer of white fat underneath the blood and bone. He retrieved his blade and made another attack, but this time the prince stopped his blade dead in it's descent with both his blade and arm, interlocking his own arms with Cantis', lowering it beneath his head, to just by his heart. With a single, smooth motion, Sebastian brought his knife out, clattering it into the Inquisitor's, knocking it from Cantis' hand.

Knowing this to be his only advantage, Sebastian brought his blade down with his right hand, the blade being stopped cold by Cantis' forearm. Sebastian then let go of the blade, catching it with his left hand. Before the Inquisitor could react, the Prince of Starkhaven brought it forward into his chest, splitting his stomach. He then pushed all of his force into Cantis, toppling him over and retrieving his blade in one swift motion.

With the Inquisitor incapacitated, Sebastian turned back, breathing hard and covered in sweat. His soldiers were being slaughtered. They were fighting bravely, but they were an honour guard, meant to impress nobles and keep their Prince safe from bandits, not well trained soldiers, and had been caught completely off-guard, while the Inquisition had an army capable of toppling countries and had carefully planned this ambush.

There was shouting above him and, looking up, he realized that the archers were repositioning from where they were, and would soon have a clear shot at him. Knowing that would be the end, he looked around frantically for a way out.

There, to the right of the Inquisitor's throne, was a wooden door. He had no idea where it led, but it had to be better than here.

He felt guilty, running away from battle. These were his men, his servants who were throwing their lives onto the pyre. But then he swallowed hard, reminding himself that these men had full knowing of what might happen and had dedicated their lives to Starkhaven and it's royal family. If they died saving him, that was simply a part of their duty.

He reached the door and gave it a single, massive kick with all of his might, and it gave way. Giving one final look to his soldiers and hearing one last tactical yell from the archers in the rafters, he ran into the darkness below.

 **Moments Earlier**

A blazing ball of fire exploded into Starkhaven's soldiers, sending them flying and making them stumble from the force as the red-orange flames engulfed them, and Hawke scythed through them with Vigilance, slicing several of them in two from the sheer power of the blow.

Hawke's cutting rush through through the lines of guardsmen was stopped when a hulking brute of a man, armoured in interlocking steel plates and protective scales slammed his greathammer into her side, sending the Champion reeling.

She recovered fast, taking a swift step away and bringing Vigilance into his armour, shredding it as though it were butter, slashing his flesh with it's unnaturally sharp edge.

But his counter-strike was equally brutal, swinging his hammer into Hawke before she could move, the sheer force of the blow hurt her even through her armour, cracking her skin and stumbling Hawke

The blow might not have been so bad, but while Hawke was reeling from the blow, a lightly armoured, agile rogue of a soldier slammed into the already off balance Champion, tackling her to the ground.

The tips of the gauntlets of Hawke's Champion armour were forged into long, pointed ends, not unlike the talons of a Hawke. She used her mana to push fire into their tips, heating them immensely. She brought them into the rogue's face, tearing long strips of flesh, the fire simmering in the wound like salt. He screamed in agony, moving his hands to his wounds and she reached up, struggling to force him off of her.

She had only managed to half-force him off however, when the brutish man stepped forward, swinging his hammer down towards her head.

Both Hawke and the brute were surprised when his arms disobeyed him, bringing his weapon into the rogue, breaking his skull in a mighty blow, sending him sprawling off the Champion. Even while she was stunned by this seemingly divine intervention, Hawke had sense enough to get off the floor, doing a backwards roll, landing on her feet.

"May the Dread wolf take you!" Merrill shouted as she used the blood from his fresh wound to control the man to save her love before using it to tear him apart from the inside, his armour slamming into the ground beside her. She rarely used blood magic to harm, but anyone who tried to kill her love made their lives forfeit.

Hawke turned and their eyes met, albeit briefly, and Hawke gave the slightest of nods before turning back to the Prince of Starkhaven, catching him fleeing into the Undercroft of Skyhold.

More soldiers moved to assault Hawke as she sprinted towards Sebastian, in a desperate attempt to stave her off of their prince, knowing her to be the most fearsome of their opponents, but the Dalish girl they had all overlooked stopped them. The soldier closest to her love was struck by a white-hot bolt of lightning, consuming him in heat and spreading, chaining between him and the guards behind him, incinerating them.

Several soldiers moved to target her instead, but she summoned razor sharp fragments of the stone beneath them, skewering the ones who rushed to her, killing all but one of them before they hit the ground. To the last one alive, she placed her hand on his forehead, burning a dark purple rune on him before she sent him flying back with a burst of pure force, crashing into his comrades before exploding, spreading the spell to all those unfortunate enough to survive, chaining it together in an awe-inspiring wave of death, allowing Hawke to focus purely on her target.

 **In the Undercroft**

Sebastian quickly realized that he had picked the wrong door. He had hoped that the door he had chosen would lead to a rampart or something of the sort, but instead it leaves him down into an undercroft. Given the alchemical tables and blacksmith's workspace, he guessed that this was some sort of a smithy or forge. Knowing that to turn around would be his death, Sebastian continued onward in the darkness of the hall.

He heard another person slam into the door. Turning around, his blood ran cold when he saw Hawke standing there, her greatsword in her hand, fury and death in her eyes.

Sebastian turned and vaulted over a railing, landing with a roll onto a metal grate with a loud metallic _clang._ He looked around in a rush, adrenaline spiking, looking for some sort of exit or delaying tactic. The Inquisitor clearly had little-to-no training with his weapon while Sebastian could use his blade reasonably well, and even so Sebastian had gotten lucky. If he were to face Hawke, a highly trained Arcane Warrior with enough power in her veins to level half the world, he would not be so lucky.

A _clang_ identical to the one he had made only a moment ago sounded. He knew the Champion was right behind him, desperately looking for something, anything he could use to escape. The only thing he could see of the sort was a wide open vista with a railing across it.

He ran for it, knowing that Hawke was right behind him. It might hold some way out, unlikely thought it might be, but it was his only chance.

He reached the edge and realized that his luck had run dry. Unless he considered a fall half a mile down to be an escape, the vista held no way out for the Prince.

He felt Hawke behind him him, and he turned to face her. She was absolutely _seething_ with anger, planting her greatsword across his throat.

 _'This is it.'_ Sebastian thought. _'Maker guide my soul.'_

To his surprise, Hawke didn't immediately slit his throat. Instead she stared into his eyes, breathing hard in her rage. A moment later, she spoke, absolute _hatred_ in her tone. "Why?"

"W-why?" Sebastian stammered, unable to comprehend the question.

"You _fucking_ heard me choir boy. You sent an assassin, a trained killer after me. He tried to kill Merrill and he damn near succeeded. I want to know why."

Sebastian's anger boiled over at that. He knew he was going to die, and gave no care for keeping her calm anymore, hissing in his tone. "Odd you're so angry over that, when you just killed _my_ wife and unborn child. Tell me, _Champion_ , how are their lives worth less than your pet _malificar_?"

He fully expected Hawke to slash him to ribbons at that but, for whatever reason, she didn't. "We didn't plan for that. Hell, before this morning I had no idea you were married. I would have probably given the order not to kill her. The man who killed her did it before the attack, out of orders. I don't know why, but you can't hold me responsible for that."

Sebastian met her stare with coldness. "I can, and I do. You've stolen my love, my moon and stars from me _Champion."_ He paused, taking a breath to seethe hard. "You want to know why I did it? You want to hear the whole truth? Fine. I sent a killer after you and your Dalish. Why? Because you are an insane, _degenerate_ woman who can't see beyond your own dog collar. I thought you were a good person, Hawke, but then I realized that you were just another one of the _malificar_ , ready to laugh as this world burns, thinking yourself a hero the whole while."

At the final word Sebastian pressed his right hand into Vigilance's blade and pushed as hard as he could while his left hand drew and stabbed his blade forward, managing to get the blade off of his neck. His dagger didn't go very far past Hawke's armour, but that wasn't the point.

Hawke jumped back in surprise and he took the opportunity. He lifted himself over the railing with one smooth motion, and vaulted down. If he was to die today, he wouldn't give Hawke the satisfaction of finishing him herself.

Hawke immediately ripped the dagger out and used her magic to heal the small wound before looking over the side. She watched as Sebastian faded further and further, becoming nothing more than a dot before finally disappearing altogether.

A moment later she turned as she heard noises and talking, without any sound of battle. Merrill, supporting a wounded Cantis, were the first two down into the Undercroft.

"That choir-boy is damn good with that butter knife." Cantis grumbled as Merrill and Hawke used magic to heal his wounds. "If I'd had my sword, he'd have been dead in half a second. What happened to him?"

Hawke motioned over to the railing. "He jumped. I guess he wanted to strip me of the satisfaction of killing him."

Cantis shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that took care of itself, I suppose."

Hawke shook her head. "I want proof he's dead. Send out men as soon as you can to find me evidence."

Cantis looked at her in disbelief. "You can't possibly think he could have survived that fall, can you?" Hawke shrugged, mimicking his earlier pose. "The fall from the Undercroft to the ground is a few hundred meters, at least! There's no way he could have survived."

Hawke looked him sternly in the eyes.

"I thought the same of Corypheus. Find me proof."

Meanwhile, a broken and horribly wounded Sebastian clung to life in the field where he had landed. Every other bone in him was broken, and he was bleeding heavily, his entire nose clogged with his blood.

He fought for one more breath.


	6. Beauty Bleak

"Seneschal." Sebastian said softly, sitting on his throne back in Starkhaven. His steward came rushing over. His prince had been so quiet and distant since his return, the loss of his family had all but destroyed the man, the steward knew that it must be important to break his brooding.

"Yes my Prince?"

"I have been thinking." He said, sitting up to look the seneschal in the eyes. "When Andraste said ''The Maker is king in the heavens, but it is the kings of Thedas who must recreate his worldly glory', what do you suppose she meant?"

The steward scrambled for an answer, having expected to be asked to run an errand, not answer a moral question. "I... don't know, ser." He answered slowly. "I suppose she meant that even though the Maker ultimately rules over all of us, that there is still a need for kings upon the mortal plane to enforce his divine will."

Sebastian nodded in quiet contemplation. "That is what I have been thinking as well." He stood up, motioning to the mural of Starkhaven's history behind his throne. "You are familiar with Starkhaven's history, yes?" The seneschal nodded. "Tell me, when was the royal line the strongest?"

The steward opened his mouth to answer, but Sebastian stopped him by raising his hand. The question is metaphorical. You could make strong arguments for any Prince of Starkhaven to be the strongest." He raised his hand to touch a specific part of the mural, the one that depicted the rise of the Vael family. "But I believe it to be the final King of Starkhaven: the first Lord Vael."

"Milord?" The steward asked. "I mean no disrespect, but Lord Vael was the first Prince, not the last King."

Sebastian nodded. "True, in title alone. But look at how the people treated him, the power they gave him. He may have called himself Prince, but he was King to those without a concept of what being a Prince meant. They gave him all the same rights and lack of restrictions that a King gets, not like the title of Prince."

"I... suppose that makes sense." The seneschal said slowly. "The people back then just thought him a king with a different title. He was a good, noble man, without restriction."

Sebastian nodded. "Exactly." He drew his hand away from the mural. "A Prince _has_ power, to be certain, but a truly great ruler needs to power given to a King."

"Milord?" The steward asked, not understanding where Sebastian was going with this. Sebastian turned back to him, fixing the seneschal with a firm, cold gaze.

"From this moment on, I declare the title King of Starkhaven reborn."

 **At Skyhold**

"Hawke, you're being paranoid."

Skyhold had frozen over yet again, a light snowfall sprinkling over an already white-covered fortress. Hawke was leaning over a railing on the ramparts, overlooking the winter still, while Varric was trying to converse with her while freezing.

Hawke looked back over her shoulder at him, snow gathering in her air. "Varric, I _am not_ paranoid."

Varric snorted. "Like I believe that for a second, chuckles. You've been looking over your shoulder non-stop ever since Choir-boy died."

Hawke sighed. "If I thought he was dead, I wouldn't be looking over my shoulder."

Varric laughed. "You're shitting me, right? You can't _honestly_ think he's still alive." A pause, where Varric expect Hawke to tell him that she didn't, and Hawke didn't say anything. "Hawke, choir-boy is _dead_ , as dead as they come. He's not going to come back from beyond the grave to hunt you and Daisy."

"That's what I thought about Corypheus." Hawke said quietly.

"Hawke, Corypheus _was_ dead, you killed him. He just used blood magic or some shit to bring himself back. Totally different from you throwing Serah Perfect off a cliff." Varric walked over to her and put his arm on her, as best as he could given their height difference. "He's gone Hawke. Stop dwelling on it."

She sighed and looked back at him. "It's been three weeks, and no one's found a body yet."

"Hawke, in case you hadn't noticed, _it snows up here_. First thaw and I'll bet Bianca's draw string we'll find him." Then, in a quieter tone. "Or what's left of him, anyway."

Hawke just shook her head sadly. "I... I don't know. I just don't." She sighed again, her breath visible in the cold. "All common sense says he should have died in that fall but there's just this... deep, nagging wariness in the back of my head." She gave him a pointed look. "I didn't survive ten years in Kirkwall without knowing to trust my instincts."

Before Varric could try to ease her fears any farther, an Inquisition runner came up the stairs in a rush. "Serah Hawke!" She said, saluting sloppily, clearly out of breath. "The Inquisitor needs you in the War Room, on the double." She looked over at Varric. "You'll want to come too."

When Hawke and Varric reached the War Room, the Inquisitor, all of his usual advisers, Mara and Merrill were there already.

"What's going on?" Hawke asked as she closed the door behind them. "Why's everyone here?"

Cantis shook his head gravely. "It... seems I give you too little credit." He said, motion to Leliana, who placed several pieces of formal paper on the table.

"These are reports straight from my agents in Starkhaven." She explained, shuffling through them, showing her the reports. "And your fears have been confirmed. Sebastian Vale is officially alive, and has returned to the city."

Hawke brought a fist down onto the table. "Damn it." She exclaimed, hanging her head. "I knew that slippery bastard wasn't down for the count."

"What's more," Josephine said, regarding Hawke sadly. "Is that he's declared war on the Inquisition."

Hawke sighed. "Well, this all just got a hell of a lot harder. Now we're gonna have to take the fight to him to do anything about him." Everyone around the table except her and Varric shared and awkward look that didn't escape her. "What? Is there something else?"

Merrill breathed deep and spoke out of the silence. "I'm sorry Ma Vhenan."

"Starkhaven has invaded Kirkwall."

 **In Starkhaven**

Just outside his room, Sebastian was leaning on the balcony rail with his hands folded, out in the cool winter air. He was staring into the skies, remorsefully contemplating the stars.

"I'm so, so sorry Cecelia." He said quietly, with pain in his tone. "I should never have trusted the Inquisition, should never have taken you to that damned party. When you cried out for me, and I couldn't save you, I..." He swallowed hard, letting a tear fall down his cheek before breathing deeply to fight back his sorrow.

"I promise you this won't go unavenged. With all I am, I swear to you: I'll kill them all."


	7. Broken Crowns

Kirkwall isn't that much different from what Hawke remembers.

And that is probably what hurts the most.

She had left for Kirkwall immediately after their meeting. Maybe she wasn't it's Champion anymore, but it was her home, and no one would take it without a fight. Mara, Cantis and Varric had come with her. Merrill had offered to come, but Hawke knew from the sadness in her eyes that she would have a hard time bearing to see their home as it was, and Hawke wasn't about to bring her any undue pain.

Kirkwall was special to the two of them. It was the place where Merrill had given Hawke her maidenhood, where they had admitted their love, even the place where they had bound their hands to one another.

Kirkwall hadn't been a first home for either of them, but it was the one that they had built together.

Knowing that the Gallows wasn't an option, they had taken a ship to the Wounded Coast, walked to Lowtown and slipped into the shadows of Darktown.

Above ground, it was midnight and raining heavily. If this had happened six years ago, she would have stirred awake, curled up to Merrill and gone back to bed, the rain being a nice background noise.

But now she was arse deep in mud and sewer-water, with Merrill on the other end of Thedas.

She stopped at the end of the makeshift pathway, outside of where she met Anders. His clinic is gone, burnt to the ground and condemned. Hawke isn't sure if it was Templars, refugees or Anders himself. Not that it matters any more, not now that Anders is gone and his memory defamed.

Varric reaches up and takes her hand in his, squeezing it in a comforting gesture. Hawke wiped her tears away with her other arm and steeled herself.

The day was only going to get much more painful.

The pathway to the Amell manor hasn't changed at all since the first time she entered it with Carver, all those years ago. Back when her biggest concern was trying to get into Merrill's pants. Before the Qunari. Before Anders. Before Corypheus.

When they reach the end of the cellars, they open the door into the manor.

Oddly enough, it seems to be mostly intact. She had fully expected it to be ransacked to the bone, but everything is familiar. Whether out of respect or fear, looters have, more or less, left her home alone.

But it's empty in another way. It's dark and abandoned, like a ghost town. The fire in the hearth hasn't been lit in years. The enchantment table, her desk, Mother's tea table are all eerily quiet.

Not even the rats live here now, a monument to a fallen Champion.

Although clearly someone _had_ been here recently, given footprints in the thick layer of dust that covers her cherry-wood floors that looked so much like liquid amber.

The sound of moving footsteps came from the library. The door was wide open, but she had sense enough to knock softly on the side of the frame and call softly. "Aveline."

"In here, Hawke."

There are close to twenty men, all gathered in her library, sitting very still, huddled together and curled up in fear. Aveline is the only one standing, dressed in her guard-captain armour.

"It's her." She hears a whisper from one of the guards to another. "The Champion."

The one he was talking to breathed, sounding on the edge of a sob. "We're gonna be okay."

Hawke took a step forward and met Aveline in a hearty hug, letting the guard lay her head on the Champion's shoulder. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again." Aveline says quietly. "I'm glad you're here."

Hawke smiled sadly and hugs Aveline even tighter. "I could say the same about you." Aveline pulled back and smiled. "So what's our situation?"

Aveline took a deep breath."I won't lie to you Hawke. It's bad. Those Starkhaven soldiers are absolutely destroying this city. They might claim to be trying to protect us, but they're nothing more than a bunch of thugs, sent here to beat us down. Viscount Bran sold us out."

Hawke sighed. "He always did have more protocols than brain cells."

Aveline nodded. "He was a good Seneschal, but he had no idea how to run this city. So, he wound up _whoring_ us out to these Starkhaven thugs in exchange for protection." She looked at Hawke very pointedly. "No one brutalizes this city. Not on my watch."

Hawke smiled. "You haven't changed a bit, guard-captain."

Aveline gave a laugh under her breath before continuing. "Still, it's... not as bad as it could be." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Starkhaven soldiers might claim that they've conquered the city, but they found out that no one _can_ conquer this city. They only hold Hightown now that they've pushed the nobility around a bit, but their patrols in Lowtown constantly get ambushed by my men, mercenaries and thugs that don't want to hand over their city. Anyone they send into Darktown gets found an hour later in the canal. All we have to do is break their power over Hightown to get them out."

"I would have thought the first thing Choir-boy would try to take would be the Gallows. Are there any of his soldiers there?" Hawke asked.

Aveline shook her head. "He _did_ send soldiers down there immediately after he took Hightown. Six of his soldiers went insane from the red lyrium, killed twenty others and it took three dozen more soldiers to take them down."

Hawke nodded in understanding. "So all we have to do is take Hightown and then we can force them back?"

Aveline nodded. "Yes. That deal that Viscount Bran made a deal with Starkhaven sold our freedoms in exchange for protection and assistance rebuilding, effective immediately on his return from accompanying Sebastian Vael to Skyhold to meet with the Inquisition. A meeting he didn't survive." She gave a pointed look at Cantis, who simply shrugged. "Anyhow, that didn't effect us at all: Viscount Bran had a son, who has succeeded him and, more importantly, has upheld the deal with Starkhaven. If we were to get rid of him, the power would fall to the highest ranking authority figure in Kirkwall: Me. That would destroy any official power Sebastian has over Kirkwall, and then we'd be able to drive them back to Starkhaven."

Hawke nodded. "Alright then. Storm the Viscount's office, kill the big man." She chuckled to herself. "Just like old times, hmm?"

"Just like old times." Aveline smiled back. "Hawke?" She asked a moment later.

"Yes?"

"How did it come to this? I knew Sebastian's competition for the crown of Starkhaven was never going to end well, but... this?"

"I don't know, Aveline. He's tried to kill me and Merrill, and now he's after Kirkwall as a whole. I guess choir-boy finally went off the deep end."

Aveline sighed, rubbing her eyes hard.

"Guard captain?" One of the men with dirty blonde hair asked a moment later, and Aveline turned.

"Guardsman?"

"I know I shouldn't question blessings, but... we got our arses handed to us last time we tried to tackle Starkhaven forces, and now we're going forward into full-out war?"

Aveline nodded. "True enough, we did get beaten last time. But we have reinforcements this time."

" _Four men_? Captain, that's not reinforcements, that's a funeral detail!" Surprisingly, Aveline didn't come to Hawke's defence first.

Instead, it was Donnic. "Guardsman, how big of a rock have you been living under?" He asked, pointing to Mara. "When the world was on fire and death was everywhere, this woman single-handedly killed the Archdemon." Then he pointed to Hawke and Varric. "When this city was invaded by Qunari, tearing through everything in their path, These two ended the madness." Lastly, he pointed at Cantis. "I've not met this man, but I've heard the reports. When the sky was literally torn apart, he put it back together and cut his way through a legion of demons in doing so. I would fully trust the four of them above an army, against ten legions of men. Do any of them sound like funeral details to you?"

The man shook his head and stepped back, standing a little straighter for knowing who he would fight beside.

"Thank you, Guardsman Donnic." Hawke said, smiling and blushing just a little bit at the description of her.

"You're welcome." He said. "Oh, and Hawke?" He said as the Champion began to turn. Hawke looked back. "Thank you for coming back."

 **Later...**

"I'm not supposed to take anyone but the Viscount himself down here." Aveline said as she led Hawke and Varric through the Viscount's secret tunnels that led to his offices. "But our Viscount is a foolish boy who is upholding a cowardly move that sold Kirkwall's freedom for 'protection' and coin. I think we can make an exception, just this once."

They had left Mara, Cantis, Donnic and the rest of the guardsmen outside to set an ambush and to cover their escape. They had briefly considered a direct assault through the front doors, particularly considering that there were only ten men guarding it, but they had decided upon their current plan. They had no idea what was waiting for them on the inside.

Varric gave a chuckle. "Ooh, Red's breaking the law. She must really hate this new Viscount."

Aveline shot an annoyed look back at him. "I told you: I don't like 'Red'."

Varric shrugged. "Well, you never gave me a better one and I had to write you into my books somehow."

Aveline snorted. "Never change, Varric." She said as they reached the end of the tunnel. "Never change."

Aveline put her hand over a single brick, then stopped. "We have to be quiet from here." She whispered. "Some of the Starkhaven soldiers are set up here, in the barracks, at least a fifty of them. I think I know where he'll be, so stick close." Then she pressed down, and the wall moved on it's own, making way for them directly into the Viscount's office.

The Viscount's offices are definitely the least saddening to Hawke, because it's no different from when the city was in mourning over Dumar. It still holds the same gloominess and aura of death that it did before. Perhaps that doesn't make it any better, but it's good to have something that's familiar.

Aveline tackled a patrolling soldier, slamming him into a wall before bringing him to the ground. Knife in hand, she ended him before he could make a noise.

The guard-captain motioned and Hawke and Varric followed closely. The door to the Viscount's throne room was locked, but thankfully they had Varric with them.

Hawke, admittedly, always had a hard time watching Varric open the locks on doors, since it was so hard to watch without laughing. Most rogues, story-tellers and unwelcome tag-alongs she had ever met knelt down to pick locks, but Varric had to stand on his toes just to see inside.

"Intruders!" They heard someone shout from behind them. "Guards, we have a casualty down here! Everyone, wake your arses!"

Hawke stamped her foot down. "Fuck me sideways!" She hissed angrily.

"Hate to break it to you Hawke," Varric chuckled in spite of the situation. "But Daisy ain't here."

Hawke turned to him, giving him an annoyed look. "Quiet, Chest-hair, and wake Bianca for a fight."

More footsteps became evident, and it was clear they were only seconds away from being found. Thinking fast, Hawke spun around to the door and summoned magic to her hand, blue-orange power burning in her grasp before she released it into the grand doors, smashing them into splinters. As they entered the room, she painted a blue rune into the middle of the floor behind them that quickly faded into transparency.

Five guards burst into the Throne Room from an adjoining room at the loud noise. Two of them were quickly dropped by Bianca's bolts, the first being pinned to a pillar by the force. Another of the soldiers lunged towards Aveline, who deftly batted his sword away with Wesley's shield before driving her blade into his heart. The final two were after Hawke, who released a wave of energy that threw them off balance while they sprinted towards her, allowing her to slash the throat of the closer one and lunge forward, thrusting Vigilance into the other's chest.

The rune Hawke had placed in the hallway exploded into a shower of flame and shrapnel, filling it with a blazing wall of fire. "Come on!" Hawke shouted. "That fire won't last long!"

Aveline nodded and motioned for them to follow her. "This way!"

She led them up the stairs from besides the throne, up the left side. Hawke took the right side of the door, Varric readied Bianca in front of it and Aveline prepared herself to kick it in.

Aveline kicked the door in and stepped back, Hawke rushing in first. Three men dressed in Starkhaven armour stand in the middle of the room, crossbows in hand, standing in front of a middle-aged man in fancy clothes.

They all pull the triggers on their crossbows simultaneously, firing in succession. Hawke weaved her magic in a wave of power, sending the bolts back to their senders, crushing their throats under the force.

Bran's son had barely changed since the last time Mother had set Hawke up on a date with him, back before she had accepted Hawke had interest only in those of the fairer sex, except for the added six years of age. Aveline, Hawke and Varric exchanged looks.

"I'll do it." Varric said. "No one sells my city out."

Varric approached the cowering Viscount and loading Bianca. "Sorry kid," He said, pulling back Bianca's cocking ring. "But you sold my city to the most pretentious and destructive state in the Free Marches. Bianca, doesn't like that."

Neither of the women watch the death of the Viscount, but they heard the Bolt find it's target.

"Come on," Varric said. "I've had enough for one day." Hawke nodded and they moved to leave.

Starkhaven soldiers had completely filled the throne room, searching for the intruders. Hawke brought lightning into her fingertips and cast it into them, chaining between several of them as the sheer power of the electricity leaving nothing behind except ash in the air. The men jumped and ran to intercept their attackers, but Hawke conjured a maelstrom of chaotic energy that yanked all of them to it's centre, then she summoned a fireball and flung it into their ranks, burning them into nothing but cinder.

She turned to the others, nodding her head in the direction of the exit. "Come on." She said. "Let's see if the others have any news for us."

Unfortunately, no plan ever stays simple in Hawke's life.

When they exit the Viscount's Keep, they are confronted by ranks of five-hundred Starkhaven soldiers.

"Well," Varric sums up. "Shit."

A man in fancy armour is in front, clearly their commander. "Adrianne Hawke, Varric Tethras and Aveline Hendyr, under the order of King Vael, you are all under arrest for conspiracy, murder and regicide."

"Starkhaven _royalty_ has no power here any longer." Aveline stated firmly. "And, as highest ranking official, I hereby order you to leave my city."

"Like hell." The man sneered. "I believe the power falls to me now, and you aren't walking out of here."

A whistle came across the courtyard, and all heads turned to Marilina Amell, with a thousand people at her back. "Leftenant, I would like to introduce you to some people." She motioned behind her. "These are some 'conscientious objectors', that are here to deliver their complaints over Starkhaven rule."

The commander looked at Hawke, and back to the gathered masses. "Ah hell." He said, then he drew his blade. "Attack!"

His men were confused, for just a moment, at _who_ they were exactly meant to attack. In the confusion, Hawke cast another massive fireball, consuming men and reducing them to cinders.

Their men stumbled back and were sent flying, and in the further disarray, Cantis stepped forward, holding up his anchor hand. It glowed green, and ripped a hole in the fade, opening in a sphere that consumed a hundred soldiers.

Then the crowd rushed forward, makeshift weapons in hand. Some of them had actual swords and axes, but others were using farm or construction equipment, whatever they could use. These were simply people who wanted their home back, not a well trained army. But they had numbers, and order.

They hit hard, crashing into the broken lines of soldiers, crushing and stabbing the warriors, trampling those who had been knocked down in their frenzy to take Kirkwall back, slashing and rending everything of this ruinous foreign power they could see.

Then a loud _crashing_ sound came across the courtyard, accompanied by a shaking of the ground, and the people were stunned.

"Enough!" Hawke near screamed, and the fighting died. She walked to the soldiers' leader, who had been knocked over by the fireball's force, and picked him up by the collar. "Too much blood has spilled on my home today." She said, eyes wet. "Let this end. Go home, back to your King, and let this city have a rest from violence and death." She stopped for a moment before adding: " _Please_."

The commander looked back at his men. Most of them were dead, and others were wounded, crying and weeping the names of their wives and children. He nodded solemnly and she let go of him.

"Tell your _King_ ," She said. "That a Hawke never forgets."

The commander wasn't sure what she meant by that, but he nodded all the same.

 **Later...**

"You know," Aveline said to Hawke as they watched the last of Starkhaven's men board on the ship that took them out of the docks. "We have no clear successor to the Viscount."

Hawke gave a chuckle. "Is this the part where you try to get me to take on the throne?"

Aveline shrugged. "The people like you. You have... a way with them, and a direct approach might be a refreshing change from the rest of the candidates."

Hawke laughed. "But I thought the deal was that you dealt with all the criminals you could, and anyone the law couldn't touch got sent my way?"

"Who says that would need to end?" Aveline smiled.

She thought about it a moment, before sighing. "No. I'm... not fit to be given official power. It's just not for me to rule over people."

"I'm not so sure." Aveline said. "People around here still ask what you would do in a situation for guidance, and they still lament your departure from the city. Besides, they'd much rather the Champion that slew the Qunari and stopped the Templars to be their Viscountess than some noble with a stick taller than I up their arse."

Hawke shook her head sadly, eyes wet. "I'm no one's Champion anymore." And with that, she turned and left, the Starkhaven ships out of view.

 **In the Viscount's Offices**

"Our next step," Cantis said, standing in front of their makeshift War Table, a map of the Free Marches on it. "Has to be to invade Starkhaven."

"Are we going to divert your Inquisition army to arrive in Kirkwall?" Varric asked in disbelief.

"No," Cantis shook his head. "No. A full campaign would take months and would cost so many lives. No, we need to send a small force in their, kill their King. In the chaos, the Inquisition can take over without a fight and spread our influence."

"How do you suppose we'll get _to_ Starkhaven?" Mara asked. "They'd certainly find us if we tried to take a civilian ship and Inquisition warships would alert them when we got within a mile, and it'd be... _crazy_ to try and sneak us in on anything smaller."

"I think I can do that." Varric cracked his knuckles. "I know a Rivaini Pirate who owes us her life, and has just the right balance of crazy and bravado that we need."

 _Inquisitor,_

 _Things have gotten worse in Starkhaven. My contacts and agents in the city-state have gone silent, and my reports say he's begun a conscription and has doubled all industry into forging weapons. He's also begun building relations with other city-states and other powers, asking for military support._

 _His reach is spreading. This can only end one way._

 _-Leliana._

 _P.S: Included with this letter are three additional letters. One is to you from Josie, one is to Hawke from Merrill, and one is from me to Mara. Ensure they are delivered._


	8. Bua Nó Bás

"So Hawke," Isabela said, turning from her position of rowing their boat. She'd been disappointed that she couldn't bring The Siren's Call 2 all the way to shore, but the whole point of this was stealth. "You know that I'm always up for some regicide, but why exactly are you going after pretty boy?"

Hawke smiled. It had been a quiet ride up here after they had left _The Siren's Call 2_ , bringing this small row boat the rest of the way to shore, and honestly she was surprised that Isabela hadn't been bombarding her with questions about everything from their reasons for being here, to her and Merrill's sex life. " _She must have really enjoy sailing,"_ Hawke had thought, " _Or else Mara wouldn't be asleep over there."_

It had been a week since they had driven Starkhaven from Kirkwall. They had sent a letter off to the last place Isabela had been seen, and thankfully she had responded quickly, showing up in Kirkwall with her immensely impressive new ship, ready to help them take the fight onto a new front, just happy to see Hawke again. Varric and Aveline had opted to remain in Kirkwall, wanting to oversee reconstruction and ensure the city didn't devolve into chaos with both Viscounts dead and Starkhaven gone.

"Short answer? He tried to kill Merrill."

Isabela turned around the whole way, giving Hawke a shocked expression. "Seriously?! Chantry Boy tried to kill Kitten?" Hawke nodded and she whistled, turning back around. "Damn. He always did have a stick up his arse bigger than Aveline." She shook her head in disbelief. "Well... stab him an extra time for me, won't you?"

Hawke laughed quietly. "I'll be sure to."

Isabela smiled in return, sitting in silence for a moment, manoeuvring around rocks on the shore before speaking again."Well, how are things between you two?"

"We're fine." Hawke said with a smile, unconsciously reaching into her armour, touching the daisy necklace around her neck. "Recent events have been... draining with us, but we're still in as much love as ever." A moment later. "And before you ask, yes, we still fuck with the same voracity as ever."

Isabela laughed. "Good to know. I always imagined Kitten would be a little wildcat in bed."

"I presume you've 'imagined' us in bed many times."

"You know it." Isabela smiled with a wink. "Speaking of bed-fiends, I hear that _someone_ has deflowered a certain Antivan noble." She said, turning to Cantis and gave him a wink in turn.

"And here I thought you hated politics?" Hawke said, smiling at her friend's flirtatious tone.

"I do." Isabela sounded slightly offended, although still with a playful tone. "But a dainty, chaste Antivan Noblewoman gets swept off of her feet by a strong, muscular warrior? Pure gold."

Cantis gave a chuckle under his breath. "In all honesty? I'm in a bit of hot water with her."

"Ooh, the plot thickens."

Hawke laughed out loud at that and Cantis grinned. "You hear anything about the Vael slaughter?"

Isabela frowned, scrunching her brow. "I think so? I think someone mentioned it the last time me and my boys were in Denerim. Something about the Inquisition inviting pretty boy over to their castle and trying to kill him, right?"

Cantis nodded. "Basically. Josie's a bit mad at me over that. 'Words over swords', I think she called it. The poor girl abhors violence, since she's had... bad experiences in the past, and to offer our hand in friendship and to betray them... not a good thing in her book." He sighed. "On top of that, she's a woman of honour, and to invite someone into your home, only to turn on them is... deeply dishonourable to her. I agree, but it had to be done."

Hawke looked surprised at that. "You agree?"

Cantis nodded. "My mother was an Orlesian chevalier, I'm about as dyed in the wool honourable as it gets, and the whole thing felt... wrong."

"It's just that... you seemed eager enough to orchestrate the whole thing, so I had assumed... why? Why did you do it then?"

Cantis sighed. "You said it yourself: The man sent a trained killer, an assassin, after one of my inner circle, after my friend. You think my honour is such a precious thing to me that I would trade the people who make my life worthwhile, my friends, my family, to keep it? I would burn a thousand unsuspecting families and stab them in the back if it meant saving just one of you." He paused, looking Hawke in the eyes. "You think that honour is what's keep Thedas from burning itself to the ground? It's fear... fear and blood."

Hake nodded, and the boat came to a slow stop. "Alright," Isabela said, pulling up the oar, stopping the boat up on a rocky shore of jagged rocks beside the city and turning fully around. "This is as close to Starkhaven's castle as we're getting without getting caught."

"Thanks Izzy," Hawke said, giving the pirate an appreciative smile and putting her hand on Mara, gently waking her, making the Warden jump. "We can walk from here."

Isabela smiled back. "Me and the boys'll be ready to get you out as soon as Prince-crazy-train is dead." Hawke, Cantis and Mara clambered out of the boat and onto the shore of rocks. "Stay safe, Hawke." She said quietly.

"See you on the other side, 'Bela."

If any single word describes Starkhaven, it's disparate. The shores where Isabela dropped them off at is the lowest part of town, and easily the worst. There are people sitting, forlorn, in the gutters, coughing and crying to themselves. The streets are half-flooded and rats are _everywhere_ , swarming in huddled masses just outside the shadows that a dying fire is fighting off, people curled up beside it as though it were the sole provider of life. Hawke had to force herself to turn away, making her heart hurt. She's lived like this before, and it hurts to turn from such suffering, but she can't do anything to help these faded and frail people.

Nothing, that is, except end this madness.

Of course, the further up they go, the nicer Starkhaven becomes. The streets become middling roads of cobblestone that look like they're a market or something of the sort by day and, above them, built as if to oversee the entire city, are the wealthy keeps of the nobility, far above the hellish streets. Sounds come from above, sounds of parties and restricted affairs from the aristocracy, competing with their wealth and influence even into the night, going so far as to have fireworks blaring into the sky.

"What in the world is with this city?" Mara said at last, having to crane her head up to see the keeps above them. "It's like I'm back to living in the Blight again. Half of them are dying the alleyways, and the other half are pretending like there's nothing wrong with the world."

Hawke sighed. "It's like this in Kirkwall, although I daresay it's not quite as bad. It's a wealthy city-state, which is to say that half the citizens are exceedingly rich, and the other half are forgotten about in the gutters."

Mara shook her head. "This is... insanity."

"It's why we're here." Hawke said confidently.

"Is it?" Mara asked, looking doubtful. "I don't think that it's this Sebastian that's the problem, at least, not the whole of it. A system like this would takes... decades to set up, at least." She narrowed her eyes. "If we kill this man, isn't another just going to take his place?"

"Not if the Inquisition takes over." Cantis interjected. "Our entire goal is to end chaos throughout Thedas, whether that means killing ancient Magisters or putting an end to systems like this. If we kill Sebastian, it'd throw Starkhaven's power into uncertainty, which is when we go in and fix this." He looked up to the manors above. "I daresay that these people have some surplus wealth they could share with those poor people in the laneways."

Hawke motioned forward. "Come on," She said. "We're burning... moonlight."

Cantis and Mara smiled and followed closely. After ducking into alleyways a dozen times to avoid guardsman patrols, they finally made it to Starkhaven's castle, up above the rest of the city, overlooking all the mansions.

Castle Vael was _huge_ , with massive stone brick walls that looked chiselled from marble, looking as though it would have taken a hundred years to build, a gigantic double metal black gate, drawn down onto the front of the courtyard.

Cantis gave a low whistle. They couldn't see the entire castle from where they were, but even from where they were it was clear that it was an impressive castle, almost enough to put Skyhold at shame. "It's a very good thing that we didn't just send Inquisition soldiers to take this place." He said. "We would've lost a thousand people trying to breach this wall."

"Well," Mara said with a swallow. "Any ideas?"

"Hmm," Hawke said, looking up at the battlements. "There's no one on the battlements, at least as far as I can see. Can't be too well guarded, at least."

"You got an idea, Hawke?" Cantis said, grinning.

Hawke smiled back. "You know it."

On top of a nearby noble's keep, they clambered onto the side of the roof, having climbed up construction equipment and scaffolds of a noble adding another room onto their manor that could already keep the entirety of Redcliffe inside. "Come on," Hawke said. "I think we can get over there from here."

"How?" Cantis asked, seeing as how the nearest edge of Castle Vael was nearly ten metres away. "I _am_ not jumping that gap."

Hawke smiled. "Watch and learn, messere Herald." She walked to the edge of the roof, carefully standing on the gutter.

Raising her hands and weaving a string of green magic, moving the boards and metal of the nearby construction up onto the roof, bridging the gap between the manor and the castle.

"Entrez-vous."

Cantis shrugged and began walking carefully across Hawke's makeshift balance-beam, trying _very_ hard not to lose his footing. "Creating small bridges." Cantis said after a moment, reaching the other side. "Seems almost worth the circles and the risk of being possessed."

"Oh, shut up Herald boy." Hawke whispered, reaching the other side too, Mara directly behind her.

" _Quiet_ , both of you." Mara hissed as Hawke knocked down the bridge, sending it clattering into the streets below, and they scurried for the shadows.

A soldier investigated, walking over with one hand on his blade. He never got any farther. Hawke grabbed him from behind, covering his mouth with one hand and bringing her blade across his throat with the other. He never made a noise, and she threw him off the battlements, onto the streets.

"Won't be forever until someone sees that he's gone." She said in a hurried whisper. "Let's go."

They followed her across the battlements, clambering up stone brick walls and on-top of the castle hall. Hawke pried open a window, letting the others follow her inside, landing onto the rafters, far above the floor.

Thankfully, they didn't have to go any farther to find Sebastian. He was sitting upon his throne, the mural of Starkhaven's history behind him and the crown of the city on his head, speaking to several men. Hawke motioned and they snuck across the beams of the rafters, getting close enough to hear.

"Ser, with all due respect: This is impossible." A man dressed in red-gold armour, standing right in front of his king, was speaking, a single hand raised. "The High Chancellor of Tantervale has openly pledged support to the Inquisition. The lack of response to our alliance letters is telling of his allegiance."

Sebastian nodded, once, before speaking. "Then have our men take over Tantervale. If we can break the city, he'll agree to send his armies our way."

"Half of our men are from Tantervale, ser, and they aren't just going to burn their home down."

"They're my soldiers." Sebastian growled. "They swore fealty to me, and they will go wherever I say."

The man shook his head. "Even were we to invade, they have strong walls, and loyal soldiers. It'd take us a year to destroy the city."

Sebastian made a dismissive gesture. "There's no need: All men have a weakness. The man's a father, is he not? Find the girl."

"Ser?" The man stuttered. "That... madness."

"Madness?" Sebastian stood angrily. "No, this is only war. You want madness? How about the Inquisition, an organization that claims itself to peace, inviting me into their home, sharing the guest right with us and killing our queen." He shook his head. "You call me mad, but soon you will see: Every move, every strike that I make is bringing us closer to our goal. Starkhaven will defeat those killers, even if it must stand on a pile of ashes."

Cantis and Mara looked at Hawke, and she nodded. The rafters didn't _quite_ reach where Sebastian was standing, but it _did_ reach someone close enough.

Sebastian jumped back and screamed in surprise when Hawke dropped from the ceiling, driving her blade into the red-gold commander's back, separating the man's spine and killing him before he crashed into the ground with her.

"Tantervale never hurt anyone." Hawke said as she pulled the blade back. "How about we just settle this now?"

She lunged forward, but Sebastian reacted quickly. He brought his forearm to bear, hitting Hawke as hard as he could. It didn't do much to stop the Champion, but it stopped her long enough for another of the men in the throne room to grab her around the neck, bringing a knife around her neck.

Hawke slammed the back of her head into his face, stumbling him back and ceasing to pull the blade. She brought a clenched fist up over her shoulder, breaking his nose and causing him to drop the blade. Finally, she brought her elbow into his jawline, sending him sprawling back. Before he could react further, Cantis jumped from the rafters in a fashion identical to Hawke, diving onto him and driving his blade deep into his neck.

While Hawke was struggling with the soldier, Sebastian ran to a door off to the side of the throne room. Mara cast a blast of ice at him, exploding into the ground beside him, sending him off his feet. She reached for another spell, but a soldier from the alcoves brought his crossbow up to bear, letting it loose. The bolt slammed into her calf, piercing through her anklebone, and knocked her off balance, sending her crashing into the floor.

Mara rolled over and cast a bolt of lightning that at struck into the crossbowmen in the alcoves, chaining between and incinerating them. Then she bent up and grasped the bolt in her leg, pulling it out and mending the wound with healing magic in one smooth motion. Cantis fought off the guards and Hawke sprinted after Sebastian.

He slammed the door behind him, and it was nearly shattered into splinters a few seconds later when Hawke rammed into it, throwing it open and snapping one of the hinges off.

The entirety of the Starkhaven guard, caught off-guard and half-asleep, scrambled to counter the assault. A dozen crossbowmen were at the top of the stairs that Sebastian was beelining towards, and quickly fumbled with their weapons, firing at Hawke. She rolled to the side of their volley and Sebastian rushed beside them, going up the stairwell.

Hawke let a ball of fire loose into them, incinerating all but three of them. Moving as fast as they could, they loaded their crossbows and fired again. This time, Hawke let a wave of energy loose, redirecting the bolts back into their senders, placing their own bolts into their skulls.

Sebastian slammed into the door to his room, forcing the door open. Thinking fast, he grabbed his grandfather's bow and a quiver of arrows, and headed to an alcove by the bookshelves in his room. He pulled on a lever, and an entrance to an exit way slid open.

The door slammed open behind him, and he saw Hawke sprint into the room. He pulled an arrow back on his bow and let it loose, piercing through Hawke's breastplate and sending her reeling back into a wall, and he ran through the escape tunnel.

Hawke had been caught off-guard by the sudden impact of the arrow, and she crashed herself into a wall to lean on in order to avoid being knocked off of her feet. Sebastian was a remarkably good archer, and his bow had an incredibly heavy draw string.

She reached up and tanked the arrow from her breast, leaving a small hole, trickling with blood. It would have to wait though, Sebastian was escaping.

The tunnel was remarkably short, being more akin to a treasury than an emergency escape. It was filled with several chests and crates, with a single ladder at the end. She quickly climbed it, an already open trap door at the top.

When she reached the top, Hawke found herself on the roof, close to where they had broken in earlier in the night. She could see Sebastian running across the battlements.

Below were sounds of battle, sounds of steel crashing against steel as Hawke leapt down from the roof and onto the battlements, and she saw the source of the noise.

Cantis and Mara were battling the soldiers in the courtyard, Cantis wielding his blade, cleaving through their lines, and Mara was showering death with her ice and lightning, a blizzard she had summoned raining down onto the battlefield, shards of ice tearing through them, sharp pieces slitting throats as they passed and shattering skin.

A dozen soldiers rushed Hawke in an effort to allow their Prince an escape. She scythed forward with her blade, killing several of them before they could so much as comprehend the attack. One attacked her, bringing his blade forward in an uncoordinated swing. She beat him off, punching him in the face and bringing Vigilance across his throat.

While she finished him, several of the others stepped around her, expecting that surrounding her would give them an upper hand. Instead, she raised her arms and the ground around her erupted in a geyser of flame, turning them into cinder and ash. As she finished them, she caught a glimpse of Sebastian running through the gates, a remarkably large amount of soldiers guarding him as he left. For all they had taken Starkhaven off-guard, they had assembled quickly.

The battle below was still going. Mara's blizzard had died down and, even though the two of them had felled more than a hundred men, there were still more. Deciding to lend a hand before she continued chasing Sebastian any further, Hawke brought a maelstrom of chaotic energy forward, ripping the men from where they stood into a heap in front of Cantis.

Not missing a beat, Cantis stepped forward and ripped a hole in the fade, a ghostly green glow erupting from the sphere and showering them in it's ethereal beauty, transforming them into little more than ash on the wind. He turned and gave a quick bow, Mara tipping her head in appreciation, and they went though the main gate to continue fighting their way through the city.

Hawke sprinted across the battlements towards the edge. She briefly considered going down to the courtyard to rejoin Cantis and Mara, but more soldiers would block their way in an effort to slow them. Cantis and Mara could deal with them, but Hawke had to catch up to Sebastian before it was too late.

When she reached the edge, Hawke leapt off of the edge with all of her strength, and released a burst of energy, sending her propelling forward and onto the roof of a noble's keep. Running across the top and jumping onto the next when it appeared, Hawke began to catch up with Sebastian and his guards.

They ran to the left, opposite where Hawke was. She dove off of the side of the roof, sending out another burst of energy, crossing the street even before their convoy was fully across. Rather than landing on the roof of the next building however, she only managed to crash through the topmost window, landing with a roll onto the floor.

Nobles screamed when she crashed through and into their party, but she didn't slow. Jumping through another window and catching a loose brick on the side of the keep, Hawke quickly climbed up to the canopy of the keep.

Sebastian and his guards, still attempting to escape, were directly in front of the Chantry. Hawke jumped from the manor, crashing feet first into the ranks of the soldiers, releasing a chaotic burst of magic as she did so, showing fire and concrete into them.

The guards in front were immediately annihilated, and the rest were knocked off of their feet.

Sebastian, still standing, drew back his bow and fired. Hawke sidestepped the shot, and brought her blade forward, cutting through the bow and cleaving through to his hand, slicing off both his fore and middle fingers in one smooth stroke. He howled in pain, and dropped the remnants of his grandfather's bow, clutching what remained of his hand in agony.

Before she could attack again, however, a crossbow bolt slammed into Hawke's back. She turned and saw an entire company, evidently those from the barracks, here to reinforce the castle and protect their king. One had shot at her, but more were lining up a volley.

Thinking fast, she released a burst of mana that shaped into a protective shield around her, forming just in time to protect her and stop the hail of arrows. Hawke cast a bolt of lightning into their formation, electricity crackling through the air as it consumed several of them.

Hawke heard a noise behind her, and she turned just in time to see several Starkhaven soldiers sprint in to the Chantry, their king at the head. She drew back to throw a spell into their line, but was swept off of her feet by a spearman who had charged at her in the chaos, using the sharp edge of his spear to hook under her knees.

She recovered extremely quickly, putting her hands over her head and performing a backwards roll, landing back on her feet and slashing her blade under his knees in one smooth motion.

She was running out of time. Sebastian was escaping into the Chantry, and she wouldn't have time to get there before the company swarmed her.

Desperate times, she decided, call for desperate measures.

She drew upon all of mana she could summon, pulling energy from deep within her spirit, and released it all in one gigantic, chaotic release of magic. For a moment, nothing happened. And then, with soldiers closing in on the Champion, the magic manifested.

The sky's darkened storm clouds tore open, pouring out. But instead of rain, fire rained from the sky, great fireballs crashing down into the ground in an apocalyptic firestorm, destroying buildings and completely decimating the company of soldiers, ripping up streets and annihilating Starkhaven's soldiers.

Between the fighting, the climbing and her mana consumption, Hawke felt completely exhausted, her skin turning pale and sweat breaking out like a rainstorm on her forehead. Still, the battle wasn't over. Sebastian was still alive as far as she knew, and Cantis and Mara were still gone. So long as the King of Starkhaven remained alive, her war wasn't over.

She sprinted for the grand Cathedral doors of the Chantry, slamming herself into them and opening it with a slam of her body. As the door creaked open, she caught a glimpse of the soldiers, navigating through the rubble of the Chantry's roof, having been largely reduced to rubble in the Hawke's firestorm.

They pointed her out and shouted, drawing their blades as she ran towards them, Vigilance firmly in her hands. With a single step towards them, Hawke swung her blade blade through them, cutting several of the soldiers in two. Another two blows, and they were completely gone.

From where she was standing she could see Sebastian, his back guarded by several soldiers, climbing the spiral staircase to the bell tower. Hawke had no idea why he was going that way, but it didn't matter. Wherever he wished to die, it made little difference to her.

He pointed her out to his guards, still clutching his hand in agony, and his soldiers abandoned his side, climbing back down the stairs towards her.

Meeting them midway, Hawke stepped forward, slashing through several of the men in front of her, hacking through them in a sweeping motion and killing all but four of them, and brought her blade upwards in a stab towards another man, skewering him on Vigilance's point.

A spear man stepped behind her and brought his spear up to bear, stabbing as hard as he could, piercing through her armour on her lower left backside.

Hawke stepped forward and turned in one smooth motion. She was in pain, but the spear hadn't gone very far into her, her Champion armour having taken the brunt of the force.

Now the spearman had no weapon, and Hawke stabbed him, sending Vigilance through his heart. As she pulled her blade back, a brutish soldier in heavy armour brought a greathammer to attack. The hammer didn't break her armour, but still managed to stumble her with the force of the blow. She fought to regain her balance on the stairs, one final man with a shortsword crashed into her, tackling the Champion, and shoving both of them off of the staircase entirely.

Hawke landed on her back, and the spear in her back tendons was driven completely home by the impact, piercing through he lung and out the other side, even going so far as to impale the man on top of her on it's way. She screamed in agony, her hands flying to the newly-rended tear in her flesh. She pushed the soldier, already dead, off of her and rolled over, crying in horrific agony. She cried out sharply for Merrill, Varric, someone, anyone to help her.

But no one except Sebastian and the only remaining soldier heard her. Mara and Cantis were still battling for their lives through the streets of Starkhaven against the soldier's reinforcements, and anyone else was halfway across the world.

She would have to survive, and she would have to do it alone.

The brute was running down the spiral staircase, and Hawke knew he's be there in only a few moments. She scrambled for an idea through the agony piercing her mind. She had spent her mana and didn't have enough in her to kill him, and she was in no shape to fight him one-on-one.

She rolled over onto her other side, and picked up the shortsword that the soldier had dropped. She sat up slightly, worsening her pain, and drew the blade back. As the brute reached the bottom of the stairwell, hammer in hand, she threw it as hard as she could. By some divine miracle, the throw was absolutely perfect, the blade piercing through the eye-slit of his helmet, driving itself through his eye, and killing him before he hit the ground.

She laid back, completely fatigued and drained of energy. Hawke wanted to go home, to crawl into bed beside Merrill and have the Dalish girl kiss his wounds better.

But she couldn't go home. S long as Sebastian was alive, Merrill would never be safe.

Hawke planted both of her hands on the shaft of the spear, her stomach dropping when her hands slipped on her own crimson blood, and pulled.

Her vision was completely consumed by black, and she chipped two teeth grinding in her mouth to keep herself from crying out. The pain had grown a hundred times worse, but she couldn't leave it in herself.

After a seemingly endless time that dragged itself into eternity, the shaft came free, and the pain stopped it's spike. Hawke gasped and threw it off to the side, hands flying to her side as it clattered against the stone.

She whimpered, putting pressure on her fresh wound. Reaching into herself for any last drop of mana she could scrounge up, she used it to heal herself as best she could, mending and reconstructing the hold. It wasn't enough to fully patch herself up, but it stopped the bleeding and her lung and began to breathe again.

Hawke slowly stood herself up, whimpering and wincing in pain as she did so. She leaned down and picked up Vigilance from where it had fallen. She felt childish, holding the massive that she wouldn't be of any use in a real battle, were she to be attacked. Still, she felt a little reassured to have the supernaturally strong blade in her hands.

She looked up the staircase. There seemed to be a thousand steps to the top. But Sebastian would be up there, so that was her goal.

It was beyond time to end this.

Hawke stumbled up to the rooftop, clutching her side in agony as she chased her target.

Sebastian jumped her as she came up the stairs, smashing into her and taking her to the ground, but she gave a quick combat dodge. She recovered, but the quick movement only agitated her side more, ripping it even wider and tearing new muscles.

She punched Sebastian in the face with her gauntlet, shattering his nose and breaking skin. As he stood up, she brought her foot to bear, kicking him hard with all her might. He stumbled back, bleeding profusely.

She swung Vigilance, breaking the plates in his armour and slashing open the nerves that made up his skin, rending flesh and muscles with it's incredible strength.

Sebastian screamed in pure agony, and took a step to the side, punching Hawke as hard as he could in the side of the face. It wasn't a very good strike, but the added torment made her drop Vigilance. He brought up a leg and kicked her in the chest, doubling her over in pain, and brought an elbow down onto her head, bringing her onto the ground.

Before he could act on this advantage though, she rolled quickly, ignoring the pain, and brought her own gauntleted fist into her stomach, breaking apart the internal workings on the King with the blunt force of the strike. Standing up fully, he gave another punch across his face, this time shattering the edge of his skull with the impact, knocking the crown of Starkhaven off of his face. It dropped,, bounced once, and rolled off the side of the roof.

She aimed for another strike, but he managed to stop her arm, bringing his own strike into the wound the spear had made. Hawke hissed in pain and attacked again, this time opening her hand and using the claws on the fingers of her gauntlets to rake off large strips of flesh of his face.

They both stumbled back, wounded and in agony. Hawke, breathing hard and head covered in sweat, reached forward to hit him again, but Sebastian reacted fast, pulling and unseen knife from his belt and impaling her hand, ripping it across her forearm. Hawke screamed and pulled her arm back, expecting Sebastian to retaliate.

After a moment of catching his breath, reeling to adjust to the new pain, he did. He stepped forward, swinging the knife down, but Hawke stopped it with her arm, causing the blade to dragging across it's surface in a deafening sound as she brought her fist forward again and then steeping to his side, striking him in the back of the head and slamming him into the wall where the staircase came from.

He turned and made another lunge at her. She blocked it again, but this time he was prepared for it. He brought the hilt of the dagger up when she blocked it, smashing the blunt end into her chin.

Hawke stepped back at that. He made another attack, this time aiming for the inside of her arm to where her armour was weaker, but she managed to stop it by catching the blade in the crook of her arm,. She then kicked him in the shin, cracking his leg bone under the force, releasing the knife simultaneously. The force of both sent him back into the wall, and she stepped forward, striking him three times with her fists before he could retaliate.

He stepped forward and plunged the knife into her already gaping wound, punching her twice. She brought up her claws again, this time raking the other half of his face off. He placed a hand on the knife and twisted it, and she brought her head forward into his, cracking both their skulls.

The knife fell out of Hawke and they both fell. Sebastian stumbled back and collapsed against the wall, falling to meet the ground. Hawke simply fell, falling on her side at the torturous suffering the knife had caused in her tender gaping wound.

They both lay there, hearing the other breath as best as they could, having to find air through the blood that had consumed their mouths and noses. They both thought it to be a prudent idea to finish the other, but neither had the strength to stand, let alone keep fighting.

Sebastian gave a hoarse, despairing laugh under his breath, and Hawke opened her eyes to see what he was laughing at.

"You know," He said, looking off the rooftop, into his burning castle, where they had battled. "Tomorrow, the world's... men of action... are going to look on at us, and wonder... how it came to this."

Hawke rolled on her back, still struggling to breath. "Don't think I'm about to say how wrong I was, or to cry and wonder what could have been."

Sebastian laughed again before sighing, relaxing his shoulders and resting his head against the wall. Almost a minute passed before he spoke. "I try to kill your wife, you kill mine. I invade your city, you invade mine. I beat half the life out of you, and you break half the bones in my body. Where does it end, Champion?"

Hawke shook her head, standing up. "I don't know." She paused, fighting to breathe. "Death doesn't seem to end around me."

"No. And it never will."

He lunged forward, desperately, for his dagger. He grasped the hilt, but Hawke stamped onto his hand only a moment later. She ground her armoured heel into his hand, crushing the bone underneath, before leaning down and picking it up herself. Then, in a lightning fast move, she brought her foot up to bear and kicked him with her boot, smashing into his skull and sending him sprawling back against the wall.

"Revenge," Sebastian gasped. "Is like a ghost... _Champion_." He opened his eyes, blood seeping from his forehead. "It consumes every man it touches... and it's thirst will never be quenched until ever last man, has fallen." He looked at her with absolute malice, the boy she had met in Kirkwall, gone. "You can kill me, I've nothing left to lose... but the beast is coming for you."

Hawke opened her mouth to retort that, to tell him how insane he was and how she would never be as consumed as he, but she closed it a moment later in realization that the sooner she killed him, the sooner she was home again. She stepped forward, and pressed her palm into his forehead, forcing his head back and exposing the soft skin of his neck.

She pulled the blade across his throat, severing the skin to the bone.

Sebastian closed his eyes, and drowned in his own blood, eager to see his family again and join Andraste at the Maker's side.

"I'll see you in hell, Sebastian."

Hawke walked back to Vigilance, wincing in pain as she leaned down, and sheathed her blade again. She looked to the burning city once more, took a deep breath, and headed back down the stairs.

Cantis and Mara headed for the Chantry. After having fought off the entirety of the Starkhaven army and all of it's reinforcements, which must have been an entire legion of men, they had been looking around for Hawke and Sebastian.

They had assumed that following the trail of bodies was a prudent idea.

Arriving at the Chantry, they saw a figure dressed in black steel stumble through the alcoves. It was Hawke.

"Oh my god." Mara said in shock upon seeing Hawke's wounds, clutching the hole in her chest. Mara ran to her side. "Hawke, are you alright?!"

Hawke nodded in pain. "It's... over. The battle's over. We... won."

Mara used her Spirit Healer training to patch her up, bathing her in a dark blue energy, the hole in her side mending and reconstructing itself. It didn't completely fix the Champion, she'd need a lot more time to do that, but it was enough for now.

Cantis lifted her arm and threw it over his shoulder, taking the majority of the Champion's weight. "Come on." He said. "If that bastard's dead, we've got to meet up with your pirate and get out of here."

Back on the street, Mara threw open a sewer grate and ushered Cantis and Hawke inside. Mara led the way, leaving Cantis to hold up the Champion on the way.

Reaching the end of the sewer halls, Mara blew open a metal grate that led to where Isabela was docked. The two of them helped throw Hawke down as best they could, and followed in suit.

"Damn, Hawke," Isabela said on seeing them jump down, helping Hawke back on their feet. "You look battered shite."

"Yeah, yeah." Hawke muttered as Isabela's sailors helped Cantis and Mara up from where they had jumped. "Just get us out of here, Izzy."

Isabela smiled and signalled, the helmsman letting the sails loose, sailing into the horizon and away from the burning city.


	9. Home

"Lethallin, are you sure she'll like this?"

"Of course she will, kitten. You'll have to pry her off of you."

"I just... isn't this a bit much?"

"Too much? Kitten, the woman saved you and your home. If you're looking to thank her, this little number is exactly what she'll want. But if you don't want her to maul you in desire and turn into nymphomaniac clay in your hands, then maybe we can cook something else up..."

"No! No, this... this will work Lethallin. I'm just... not used to these sorts of things... Wearing these kinds of clothes! Not-"

"I know, Kitten. I know."

"It's just so unlike me. I'm not even wearing my small clothes!"

"Easy access, Kitten. She won't even have to take it off to make you scream."

"Isabela!"

"I'm serious, kitten. If you wear this when she comes back and offer yourself to her like the little _slut_ you are, you'll have to fight her off with a sword to stop her from _fucking_ you... All. Night. Long."

 **Later...**

"Open the gates! The Inquisitor and his company are back!"

Hawke sighed in weariness. They had stopped back in Kirkwall, letting Isabela go on ahead to deliver the news while they stopped to pick up the other Inquisition agents they had left in Kirkwall, not to mention to ensure everything was fine down there, with the entire government having been sent reeling.

Leliana was waiting for them by the gates, giving her Warden a loving smile. "We heard everything that happened." She said, helping Mara down from her horse, and giving her a hug. "Hawke's pirate friend arrived two nights ago. Are you all alright?"

Mara nodded and gave Leliana a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad to be back."

Hawke dismounted herself, handing her pale horse over to a stable-hand. "I'm glad it's over. It's been... a pain-filled couple of weeks, to say the least."

"I can imagine."

Cantis looked up and smiled at the sight of his Josephine, walking down from the stairs to the left of the gate. She threw herself into his arms, resting her head on his chest. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Josie." Cantis sighed happily, and kissed her atop the head. "Hope you're not still mad at me."

She shook her head as best she could. "No," She said determinedly before sighing. "You worry me, and sometimes I can't agree with everything you do, but you do things for the right reasons. You see what the world needs, and you do it, even if it's something that other can't, or won't, do." She pulled her head from his chest, standing on her toes, and kissed him. "I love you."

"Love you too."

Hawke smiled at the exchange. "It'll be nice this whole mess behind us. I think I'm going to go eat something, and take a nice, long-"

"Ma Vhenan!"

Hawke turned to the sound of her wife's voice.

And her jaw dropped, stunned. She had expected Merrill to be wearing her usual green and brown tunic, or maybe one of the silk shirts Hawke had bought for her.

Instead the Dalish girl was wearing a skimpy green dress that shimmered like silk, with a length that barely covered her small clothes. It didn't even have straps on it, the entire thing held up by her meagre cleavage.

Hawke caught her Dalish in her arms, speechless. Merrill always wore modest clothes that covered everything, making Hawke have to strip her down. This? This dress left nothing to her imagination, showing her practically everything of her wife.

Up-close like this, she could see Merrill had little diamond earrings in and had little splotches of makeup, with redder than usual lips and little pink patches of blush on her.

Merrill began to say something, but the Champion cut her off with a searingly passionate kiss, with all the pent up loneliness she had suffered while away and the dress that made her heart pound and her body tense up.

Merrill whimpered and gave herself completely to the kiss, raising her leg up Hawke's thigh. Hawke moved her hand onto Merrill's arse, grazing her uncovered sex on it's way, making both of them moan, Merrill at the touch and Hawke at the realization that she wasn't wearing small clothes.

Cantis cheered and Mara laughed, with the entirety of Skyhold watching their reunion, but Hawke couldn't find a reason to care.

"Get a room, you two." Cullen chastised, smiling widely. Merrill pulled out of the kiss and gave him a disapproving look, but Hawke smiled and removed her hand, intertwining it with Merrill's own.

"You heard the man."

 **In Hawke's Room**

Hawke took Merrill to their bed with the Dalish girl's knees hooked on her hips, kicking the door open, not wanting to take her eyes off of Merrill's.

Hawke kicked the door closed behind them and drove the Merrill onto their bed. Merrill groaned, and Hawke nipped at the pointed ends of her ears as she let her hands trail down her elf's body, making Merrill whimper, letting Hawke's hands strip off her dress.

Merrill's stomach clenched as Hawke stripped her naked, and she threw her arms around her Hawke, letting her wife do whatever she wanted to the elf.

Hawke dragged her tongue along Merrill's neck, trying to show the Pariah just how much she had missed her. She opened her mouth, latching her mouth onto the pulse point just above Merrill's collarbone, biting down. Merrill shrieked in pleasurable pain, and leaned into Hawke's love.

After a moment of giving Merrill a love bite, Hawke pulled back and lifted her shirt off, throwing it to the side. Merrill groaned in excitement, leaning up and untying Hawke's breastband, throwing it to the side alongside her shirt. Merrill hissed appreciatively, and flipped her Hawke underneath her.

Hawke moaned appreciatively, pinning her hands above her head. Merrill kissed her, intertwining their tongues. Hawke closed her eyes, leaning into the kiss, and Merrill began running her hands along Hawke's body, pulling back from their kiss to see her wife better. Maker's breath, but Merrill's hands running up and down her body, passionately caressing her chest felt so _good._

And then, she stopped.

Hawke's eyes flew open in confusion, but she immediately saw what was wrong.

"Ma Vhenan?" Merrill asked quietly, gingerly touching the tender skin where Hawke had been skewered in the Chantry. "What's this?"

Hawke swallowed and breathed hard, fighting off the sweat on her forehead, and the lust in her chest. "It... wasn't an easy time in Starkhaven, love."

Merrill looked deep into Hawke's eyes, seeing the pain in them. "Do you want me to stop?"

"God, no."

Merrill kept her gaze locked on Hawke, and she smiled back with her eyes, the corners of them crinkling the way that they did when she was happy. Merrill slowly began her caress again, crawling down and kissing the wound.

Hawke sighed in exasperation. Merrill was sweet, but it was an old laceration, and right now she needed Merrill to maul her and bring her to screaming, passionate completion.

"Merrill," She whispered, putting two fingers under the elf's chin. "It's okay, love. You can be as rough as you want."

"I don't want to hurt you." She said, her impossibly green eyes wide in compassion.

Hawke laughed quietly. "You can't hurt me." She said with a smile. "All I need right now is _you_."

Merrill smiled and lifted Hawke's arm, running her tongue up and down her muscles, running her nails down it alongside her mouth, making Hawke shiver incredibly hard.

Letting the limb back onto the bed, Merrill reached down and unbuckled Hawke's belt, pulling her pants down, and setting upon her wife hungrily.

 **Later...**

 _"I suppose she must have liked the dress."_ Merrill mused as she lay on her wife's naked chest, both their hearts and chests racing with love and lust after their release.

Or, more accurately, releases.

Hawke curled her finger's in Merrill's hair and smiled. "I love you." She whispered.

Merrill smiled and curled into her embrace. "I love you, Ma Vhenan."

"Can I talk to you about something?" Hawke asked, her free hand absent-mindedly fixing Merrill's braids that had been dishevelled while they had made love.

"Of course, my love. You can always ask me anything."

Hawke kissed Merrill's cheek. "When I was in Kirkwall, it... hurt, seeing out home like that." She moved her hand, caressing Merrill's face. "Do you ever miss being with your clan, having a home?"

Merrill giggled. "Ma Vhenan, we don't live in wagons because we enjoy settling in one place." She cuddled her head into Hawke's chest. "Why? I thought you liked wandering?"

Hawke sighed. "I... don't know. I'm not the kind of girl that can just live in one place, eating cake while I sit on a couch, sipping fine wine as I wither away, but... it's nice to have roots, a place where I can set myself down, have a place to go back to every night. Skyhold is... nice, but what do we do when this whole business with Corypheus ends? When the world is good enough to stand on it's own again, where do _we_ go?"

Merrill cuddled closer. "If you want somewhere to live again, Hawke, I wouldn't be opposed, my love. It _was_ nice, having a house we could always go back to, when we lived in Kirkwall. Always having somewhere to go at night, a place to settle with my love."

Hawke smiled. "See? It has some appeal, even if we don't need to stay there all the time. We can still go out, and fight for what's good in this world, even if we pick a place to stay more permanently." She kissed Merrill's forehead. "Maybe I can even buy one of those manors in the Dales for us, take you back home."

Merrill laughed, kissing the skin over Hawke's heart. Cuddled in her wife's arms, in the softest bed she could imagine, she whispered.

"I _am_ home, Hawke."

 _The End_


End file.
